Table and like article.



w. A. DUNLAP. TABLE AND LIKE ARTICLE. APPLICATION FILED MA YZT. I913.

Patentd Nov. 30, 1915.

WILLIAM A. DUNLAP, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TABLE AND LIKE ARTICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed May 27, 1913. Serial No. 770,189.

To all 10 item it may concern 2 Be it known that I, IVILLIAM A. DUNLAP,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented ordiscovered certain new and useful Improvements in Tables and likeArticles, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to metal tables, such as are shown and described inmy pending application Serial No. 699,898; and the object thereof is toincrease the rigidity and strength of such tables.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of my specification, Ihave illus trated an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the assembled table, and Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the table clamping members, the view being toenlarged scale, and the plane of section passing through one leg and thecenter of the table. 7

Like numerals are used to designate like parts in the figures.

The general construction and shape of the table illustrated herein isthe same as that shown in my above mentioned application, and consistsof a top 1, formed of a single sheet of metal, having a depending rim 2,the lower edge of which is beaded inwardly to form a seat for the upperends ofthe legs of the table. The legs 3 are formed of metal havingtheir upper and lower portions bent divergingly from their centralportions. The legs are held in their proper relative positions by meansof a spacing member l, consisting of a plate provided with upwardlyextending lugs 5 adapted to detachably engage slots 6 formed in thebeaded edges of the legs 3. The upper outwardly-diverging ends of thelegs abut against the rim 2 and are held firmly in such position bymeans ofan adjustable locking member 8 which engages the legs 3 atpoints between the spacing member 4 and the top 1, and is held inclamping or leglocking position by means of a bolt 9, ex-

tending through said locking member and engaging said spacing member 4:.

In the table illustrated in my above mentioned application, the lockingmember consists of a fiat plate or disk provided with open slots, whichfit into the irregularly shaped legs, and a bolt extends loosely throughthe central portion of said plate and through the spacing member. IViththis construction it has been found that, when excessive weight isapplied to one side of the table top, the locking member is liable tomove from its plane of contact with the legs, and thus throw the tableout of shape with a possibility of its collapsing. To the end that thisdifficulty may be eliminated, I preferably so construct thelocking-member 8 that the general plane of its extent will remainconstantly in fixed relation to the axis of the rod 9. Mypreferredconstruction to this end consists in enlarging thelocking-member at the central portion thereof and extending the bolt 9through such enlarged portion. Said member may be formed of two dishedplates 10 and 10 suitably secured to each other by means of a sleeve 11,the concave sides of such plates being adjacent to each other. Also, theplate 10 is provided with closed slots 12 through which the legs extend.The spacing-member 4 is preferably constructed with a concavity on itsunderside so as to give it the appearance of the locking member 8 whenviewed from above, and forthe further purpose of hiding the thumb-screw13.

It will be observed of this construction that the locking member 8,being held in its plane of contact with the legs 3, will be effective,regardless of the position of Weights placed upon the table top, toconstantly keep the upper ends of the legs against their seats on thetable rim, and hence keep the table firm and rigid under all conditions.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article of manufacture comprising in combination a top memberhaving seats adapted to resist a thrust of the upper ends of supportinglegs in one direction with relation to the center of the top member; aplurality of detachable legs, a spacing member arranged between anddetachably secured to the legs, and a locking member comprising a platearranged between and. engaging said legs, the central portion of saidlocking member being enlarged, and a 2 a I V 7 1,162,148

combination a top member having seats for tral portion of the lockingmember and ad- 10 the ends of supporting legs, a spacing-memjustablyconnected to said spacing-member. ber detachably secured to said legs, alock- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ing member consisting ofa plate arranged my hand.

between said legs and provided with closed slots through which said legsextend, the central portion of said locking-member being enlarged, andaboltextendingthrough and engaged at spaced points by said cen- ULLIAMA. DUNLAP.

Witnesses:

PAUL N. CRITGI-ILOW, FRANCIS J. TOMASSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

